As the Democratic Party of Japan, which suffered a crushing defeat in the Sept. 11 Lower House election, begins a rejuvenation effort under its new leader, Mr. Seiji Maehara, the No. 1 opposition party must solve difficult problems to turn it into a party capable of seizing power.
In the election, the party's strength dwindled from 177 seats to 113 while Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Liberal Democratic Party increased its strength from 212 seats to 296 in the 480-member Lower House. Since the ruling coalition of the LDP and New Komeito now holds more than two-thirds of the Lower House seats, and thus may pass into law any bill that the Upper House rejects, the DPJ's role of saving the ruling coalition from its own excesses is essential.
In a party presidential election on Sept. 17, Mr. Maehara, 43, defeated Mr. Naoto Kan, who had already served as the party president twice, by a narrow margin of 96-94. Maehara's win over the 58-year-old veteran indicates that the party has opted for a fresh start under a younger leader.